Literature Circle and Guided Reading Packets

Check out my store now to get new guided reading and literature circle packets for 20% off until Friday!

Series of Unfortunate Events Book 1 and Book 2 packets.

Orphan of Ellis Island packet.

While we're at it, we will just make everything else 20%, too!

My newest product is now online as well. Based on the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg, students are asked to take a deeper look at the pictures from his book and then to write a story using the story started Van Allsburg gives the reader. One of my favorite projects of the year! Click here to check it out.


Enjoy!
-Dan M.

Teaching With Primary Sources and ST. Patrick's Day!

Every year since I have started teaching, it seems harder and harder to fit social studies into the day. The main emphasis has been on math and ELA. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the Teaching American History grant in Albion with some wonderful people and where I have picked up some of the most valuable teaching techniques.

With that said, some of my favorite lessons are those that weave together reading, writing and history. While at the Library of Congress a few summers ago with my American History cohort, one of the staff members showed us a primary source. It was a picture of a little girl working in a factory. He asked us to think about "What she was thinking?" That gave me the idea to create activities where students take a look at primary sources with speech/thought bubbles built in. After reading about the topic in depth and researching, the students then get the primary sources and fill in these speech and thought bubbles with what they believe the people are thinking. This activity forces students think critically and place themselves in a person's shoes from another time and place.




Here is a "What Were They Thinking?" activity for St. Patrick's Day.


I have also made a 6 pack of these for multiple topics we study in 4th grade. Available here.

Perfect Visual

State of the Union Address For Kids

Each day, I have conversations about current events with my kids, whether it be the issues at the Olympics, the economic crisis from the last few years, or today's topic, the President's State of the Union address.

I want my kiddos to be well-informed 4th graders, leaving school with new information and their own opinions. I don't lead my kids in one direction or another, I just inform them. That's my job.

Today, I am using the article from www.newsela.com to talk about the President's speech. For those of you who haven't used this site, I urge you to start, as there are leveled texts based on current events stories, some of which include test-prep style questions to prepare students.

I am also going to use a portion of last night's speech from YouTube. The full speech is available here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hed1nP9X7pI.

I have a few products on TpT available which asks students to make a claim using articles from NewsELA and other sources. The kids love debating these topics and I have a ton of fun, too!!

Making a Claim Bundle of 4

Happy teaching!

Asking GREAT Questions...

I try to teach my kids how to ask good questions. I have tried the "skinny vs. meaty" thing, and a few other strategies to get my kids thinking and creating both easy and higher level questions. It all seems to work when I am guiding the conversation or am pushing the kids at the rug while I read them a story, however, once they go off on their own and read in a small group, it all seems to slowly fade away. The kids begin to ask simple questions, that they can answer with one word.

I don't want my kids just asking each other questions in lit. circles or guided reading, I want them to have conversations. I want the kids to talk to one another meaningfully.

I did what I thought may help my kiddos. I used something like this my first year teaching, but I have no idea where I got it from and can't even remember if this is truly what it looked like, but this seems to work.

There are question words down the one side of the table and another collection of words across the top. When you cross the side word with another from the top, this can help the kiddos develop the beginning of question. Some of the questions are very simple, while others are a bit more in depth, activating the higher level thinking within the group.

I will consider to tweak this as I see fit, but for now, it
seems to be working. The true test will come once I take the organizer away from them.  :-)

Download the organizer for free in my tPt store. 

Multiplication Activities

With the new set of math standards fully implemented in my district, I am always trying to find ways to engage my students and create new materials which are fully aligned. One thing that I am very appreciative and proud of is that my district allows us to still be creative with the things we do in our classroom.

I have and will always believe that it's not what you teach, but how you teach it. We know what our kids need to be able to accomplish by the end of the year, and it's fantastic if we don't have to follow a scripted program each day.

With that said, I recently completed some multiplication word problem  task cards (Valentine's Day theme) with my kids. They had a lot of fun with these, yet still were fully common-core aligned.

I also have created a couple of activities to help students improve on their multiplication fluency. I used the Mad Minute packet last year, and this year created the Multiplication Dash, as it meet the needs of my kiddos.

Check these items out on Teachers Pay Teachers and let me know what you think:

Mad Minute Multiplication Packet

Multiplication Dash Fluency Practice

Valentine's Day Multiplication, Multi-Step Task Cards

Close Reading

Close reading is described as analyzing the text for meaning, while picking apart the author's sometimes hidden message.

Let's get one thing straight- although "close reading" is a somewhat new term, we have been doing that for years. When I was in 4th grade 20 years ago, my teaching Mrs. Gardener was reading The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe to us, asking us to think critically about topics, both the obvious and the hidden, which C.S. Lewis gave us in his brilliantly crafted books.

We continue this practice today, with questions at various levels to help students deeply think about the text they are reading.

One of the activities that I do with my students is a "Close Reading with Song Lyrics." I began this last year, and they LOVE this! They are now taking a look at song lyrics in a whole new way. They are questioning, they are looking for deeper meaning, and they are learning about simile and metaphor naturally within the lyrics they hear on a daily basis.

The best part is, the kids are fully engaged in these activities. I have kids requesting songs on a daily basis, which makes me feel great!

I currently have Roar, by Katy Perry as a freebie on TPT.

Also check out the Bundle of Five: Close Reading With Song Lyrics.

If anyone has any specific requests for close reading questions or specific songs, please let me know.

Happy Teaching!